Ellington, MO to Houston, MO – 72 miles
Today started on a squeaky army cot in a hostel in Ellington, MO at around 715. Went to grab some breakfast at a local coffee shop called the Vintage Cafe with Brandon. He’s a pretty cool dude, with an interesting story. He’s riding to Seattle for an internship in strength and conditioning at a university there. He just finished a Masters program at Georgia State for it. Growing up he was mostly into skateboarding until he started doing yoga which is how he got interested in strength and conditioning. Even spent a good amount of time in India doing the real thing. Waking up at 4 AM to meditate, yoga for like 6 hours, sleep, eat, and repeat.
Breakfast was a burrito, orange juice, coffee, and wifi. I can usually waste a bunch of time when I finally get some internet, so I didn’t get on the road until around 1030. Brandon left a little bit before me, and it was already getting pretty hot by the time I left. I knew I would regret my sluggish start by the end of the day.
About 15 miles in I decided to stop for lunch on the Current River. It was right near where Max, Dries, and Julia camped the night before and Cassie (Bike the US for MS Program Manager) had made a note in our maps when we stayed with them in Blacksburg that there was a good spot to swim somewhere near there. Not sure I found the one she recommended, but it was a good place to cool off.
Shortly after I got back on the road I got a text from Brandon saying that I wouldn’t see him in Houston because his rear derailleur snapped off into his rear wheel and caused quite a bit of damage to his bike. He decided to order some parts and wait to get his rig fixed up in Ellington. Hope he can get back on the road quickly. Made me think about how fortunate I’ve been on the ride so far with respect to my bike and my health.
There were some tough climbs today and combined with the heat and sun it made for some of the most exhausting stuff I’ve done so far. After one particularly brutal climb there was an especially nice view and I thought about how much more I appreciated it after the struggle I went through.
About halfway into the ride the terrain started to flatten out and I started to think I was out of the Ozarks. Right after it flattened out there was a fire tower that made for a good break spot. Great views and the cool wind at the top gave me a boost of energy.
I rolled into Houston, MO around 630, much earlier than I had anticipated. The maps noted a park in town that Trans Am cyclists are allowed to camp at. I found my way to Westside park and texted Dries to see if they were in Houston too. I relaxed for a bit and eventually heard back from Dies.
When they arrived into Houston a guy had offered to let them sleep at his place. He said that it would probably be okay if I stayed as well. Before I knew it Dries showed up at the park with Wes and we were driving out to Wes’ place. It’s about a mile outside of town and they have a guest house out back. Currently I’m sitting around a fire pit, telling stories about the last couple days (and life in general), listening to the Allman Brothers, and drinking some local microbrews. Amazing how things come together sometimes. Great to see some friendly faces and sleep somewhere dry tonight. Forecast looks like rain.
